Barato Nanami-san stood there in a daze.
It was an expression I had never seen before. Even so, it was amazing how she still didn’t lose her cuteness.
The very thing that had been weighing on her all this time—her father didn’t even remember it.
No wonder she looked like that. I could only imagine what she was feeling inside.
"Dad...!!"
"Dear...?"
Just as Nanami-san snapped out of it and was about to explode in anger… the woman beside him—her mother—spoke up.
Her voice was ice-cold, and her gaze was directed straight at her husband.
Even though she still wore that same gentle smile from before… it was terrifying.
"Deaaaar… what do you mean you forgot something that important? This is the first I’m hearing of it too… no wonder Nanami had such a hard time saying anything…"
"W-w-w-w-wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, Mother! Nanami, when did I ever say something like that!? I really, really don’t remember!!"
Flustered, Barato Genichirou-san turned to Nanami-san for help, and while she returned a cold glare, she answered him.
"Back when I was in middle school… when you were drinking at home with Oto-nii… Hatsumi’s older brother… you said it then…"
The tears had already left Nanami-san’s eyes. Meanwhile, Genichirou-san kept twisting his head, trying desperately to recall the past.
Her mother smiled with a cold gaze. Nanami-san stared at him blankly with an equally cold look. And Genichirou-san, under those gazes, held his head in distress…
What was even going on here?
What was I supposed to do?
"Ah…"
Then, Genichirou-san suddenly lifted his head. His eyes widened, and cold sweat ran down his face… it seemed he had remembered.
"I… might have… said something like that…"
"See!! You did say it!!"
"No, Nanami, that’s not it! That was just part of a conversation with Souichirou-kun!! And if anything, I said it to encourage him…!!"
"Encourage Oto-nii…?"
The conversation moved on while I was completely left behind. Still, I felt a bit relieved knowing that he hadn’t seriously meant for me to defeat him.
I had even started thinking I might need to enroll in some martial arts dojo… but it looked like that wouldn’t be necessary after all.
"Back then, he was worried and fed up with all the boys trying to hit on his little sister. So I suggested, ‘Why not make defeating you a condition?’ And I said that if it were me, I’d only approve of a man who could defeat me…"
"That’s true… Hatsumi was super popular in middle school… but still…"
"Well… I never expected that his little sister, who was so moved by his words, would end up dating him with marriage in mind once they reached high school…"
So you were the one who pushed those two together, huh…
Well, I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but… Otofuke-san and the others really are like something out of a manga. Their personalities are way too strong.
Hearing the truth, Nanami-san frowned and pressed her fingers against her temple as if holding back a headache.
"So… even if I’m dating Youshin… I don’t have to fight Dad and beat him, right?"
"Of course not. I swear on these muscles I’ve trained—and on your beloved mother. Besides, I didn’t build this body to fight people."
He flexed his muscles proudly, while also showing off his affection for his wife. Her mother blushed happily, looking completely different from her earlier icy smile.
Nanami-san also seemed relieved, placing a hand over her chest… but a different question came to my mind.
"Um… well… Nanami-san’s father…"
"Ah, is this where I say, ‘You have no right to call me father-in-law’? No, no—no need to be so formal. Just call me by my name, Misumai-kun."
"…I see. Then… Genichirou-san, you’re incredibly well-built, but… are you a martial artist?"
"No, I’m just an ordinary office worker."
…With that body? Isn’t that a bit hard to believe? His suits must be stretched to the limit…
"Then why did you train so much? I also work out as a hobby, but… it usually doesn’t go that far…"
"Yeah, Youshin’s upper body is toned, but it’s still kinda light… Dad’s is more like… completely ripped…"
The moment Nanami-san said that, I felt the room temperature drop.
The cause went without saying… it was the killing intent radiating from Genichirou-san. And it was even stronger than before.
"…Misumai-kun… did you… show your upper body to my daughter? Under what circumstances…? Don’t tell me… don’t tell me you’ve already… done that kind of thing, right? You haven’t, right? I can trust you, right?"
"N-n-n-n-no!! There were various circumstances—my clothes got wet, and while I was resting in the infirmary, the teacher took them off, and she just happened to see me!!"
"That’s right!! Youshin saved me!! Don’t jump to weird conclusions! We haven’t even kissed yet!!"
Well… we did have an indirect kiss though… Wait, Nanami-san? Why are you touching your lips and blushing after saying that?
Isn’t that making things worse…?
Still, Genichirou-san seemed satisfied and withdrew his killing intent. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at Nanami-san and spoke seriously.
"Nanami… I’ll believe you this time. But if you keep stacking small lies, even your words will gradually lose trust. As your father, I want to believe you… You don’t have to tell me everything, but at the very least, from now on, I want you to say proudly that you’re going on a date with Youshin-kun. With him, I can feel at ease."
"That’s right. If Youshin-kun is Nanami’s boyfriend, I feel reassured too. He’s kind of cute. He’s slender, but he seems to have a decent amount of muscle… Nanami loves well-built men like her father, after all. Maybe she takes after me in that way?"
Nanami-san blushed at her mother’s words, lowering her head without denying or confirming anything. Yeah… it was nice to see such a close family. When I smirked a little, Nanami-san shot me a small glare.
"You see… there’s actually a reason why Nanami used to be bad with boys—and why I started training my body."
Genichirou-san suddenly began answering my earlier question. The topic had drifted, but this was what I originally wanted to know.
Folding his hands in front of his face like an anime commander, he began speaking quietly.
"Nanami… do you remember when you started becoming uncomfortable around boys?"
"Um… I think it was before I entered middle school… maybe around sixth grade… I suddenly started feeling uncomfortable around boys…"
"Yes… and that’s when I started training my body."
"Mom said it was just a phase, so I didn’t think much about it… but what does that have to do with you training?"
I glanced at her mother, who gave a troubled smile. I had heard that girls around that age often find boys childish… maybe it was something like that?
Then, as if remembering something, Genichirou-san stood up silently and brought over an album.
When he opened it, there were many photos of Nanami-san as a child.
While I felt a warm sense of nostalgia seeing how cute she was back then, I also noticed Genichirou-san in those pictures.
…Back then, he had a completely normal build. In fact, he looked even slimmer than I do now… The human body really is amazing.
"As you can see from these photos… Nanami has always been incredibly cute. So much so that even idols couldn’t compare. Don’t you agree, Misumai-kun?"
"I do."
"Hey!?"
Well, I couldn’t exactly say “no” here… and it was the truth. Nanami-san has always been cute.
But while she blushed beside me, Genichirou-san made a bitter expression.
"…That cuteness became her misfortune. Back in elementary school… boys her age would chase her around in what was practically bullying… and she nearly got into an accident."
"Eh…?"
Both Nanami-san and I spoke at the same time. It was suddenly a heavy topic.
I looked at her, and she seemed confused. For now, I held her hand to reassure her.
"Youshin…"
Normally, I wouldn’t do something like this in front of her parents. But right now, it felt necessary.
It seemed like the right choice, as both her father and mother nodded in understanding.
"It was probably just boys trying to get the attention of someone they liked… But an accident almost happened. Fortunately, a teacher intervened immediately, so nothing serious occurred… but the shock made Nanami forget about it."
He didn’t go into details. It was probably to ensure she wouldn’t remember it by accident.
Even now, she looked confused, unable to recall it.
"But that was fortunate. There’s no need to force someone to remember painful memories… However, from that time on, Nanami began to develop a fear of boys."
…So that’s what happened… Even if she forgot, the trauma remained.
"From then on, I started training my body… so I could protect Nanami from anything. And to show her that men aren’t all scary… I entered a martial arts dojo. That’s where I became friends with Souichirou-kun."
"…Now that you mention it, I first met Hatsumi at that dojo too."
"Yes. After that, Nanami was blessed with good friends, and her discomfort toward men gradually faded… and today, she finally brought her boyfriend home."
Nanami-san and her father both narrowed their eyes with emotion. Her parents even had tears in their eyes.
She once said there wasn’t any real reason for her fear of boys… but there was something like this behind it…
I felt her grip tighten around my hand. Learning about this must have made her uneasy again.
So I…
"It’s okay… Genichirou-san."
I changed the way I held her hand.
Intertwining our fingers… a lover’s hold.
My heart raced at the unfamiliar gesture, but that didn’t matter right now.
Nanami-san looked surprised at first… but then she smiled happily and held my hand even tighter.
"I… I’ll protect Nanami-san from now on. I’ll never let go of her hand, and I won’t make her sad. I promise. So… please… accept our relationship."
Not just Nanami-san, but both Genichirou-san and her mother widened their eyes in surprise.
…Did I say something weird?
Nanami-san beside me was completely red, her mouth opening and closing in shock.
"Oh my… I already accepted your relationship, but hearing it said like that… it makes me blush… Ufufu… what a passionate proposal."
"…I see… so I’m finally getting a son-in-law… I had already accepted it, but with that level of resolve, I will formally give my approval, Misumai-kun."
Wait… that reaction wasn’t what I expected. Proposal…?
…I replayed my words in my head.
…Yeah… that really did sound like a proposal…
I had completely forgotten this started as a punishment game… I just wanted to reassure Nanami-san…
Nanami-san’s eyes sparkled with emotion.
Genichirou-san wiped tears from his eyes.
Her mother smiled warmly.
…Well, whatever. I’ll just do my best from here on.
With renewed determination, I shook hands firmly with Genichirou-san. Once again… it was his left hand.
"Ah, sorry if that confused you. I’m left-handed, so I instinctively use this hand for handshakes. There’s no deeper meaning."
Oh… I thought he still hadn’t accepted me… but it was just a misunderstanding.
And just like that, my relationship with Nanami-san… became officially approved by her parents.
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